Patch Blogs: Sometimes You Have to Slow Down to Go Faster

In general, I am a stubborn person but through much trial and error and many, many mistakes, I think I have learned some of the finer points of compromise.  Maybe that is why I like running so much; I don't have to compromise. I can be as stubborn as I want to be.

I have always seen walking when I am training as a sign of weakness. I must run every step of the way. I just don't walk. I do not ever want to and usually do not compromise on this. No matter how slow I have to go, I run.

There have been several races now where I have pushed myself to the very brink and been forced to walk in order to get my breathing under control and not pass out or throw up. I have learned from these experiences and used the knowledge I gained to make sure I ran every single step of the half marathon I ran last year.  My races so far this year have been going OK. I hadn't walked in a single one of them until ... the .

Let me begin by saying this is an awesome event and is the premier event of the Subway Challenge Series. The very first race I ever ran, two years ago, was the YMCA two-mile race. The event is extremely well organized with a great deal of community involvement and support. It is the largest event in the area and will be celebrating its 35th anniversary next year. I love this event and my family likes the fact they can practically walk out our front door to see me go by. They don't have to get up early to travel to a race!

This year, my goal was really just to beat my time from last year, which was 50:06. I set out pretty fast and knew I couldn't sustain but at the 2 1/2 mile mark, I had to walk. I was so upset with myself but after a short walk break, I still hit the three-mile marker with a good time. Three more times I had to take walk breaks. Three. I felt so defeated but then ... my time was looking awesome. I was going to beat my time from last year and set a PR (personal record) for the five-mile distance. I finished with a mat time of 47:50. I was really pleased.

Once again, I have learned an important lesson. Walking isn't always bad. Giving in and compromising isn't a bad thing when I am running and might actually work. Sometimes, you just have to slow down to go farther, faster. OK, lesson learned but I have to admit that days later, I set out on that five-mile course just to prove I could run the whole thing (even if it was slow) and I keep wondering, how fast could I have completed it if I hadn't walked? Sometimes I just can't let go of the stubborn in me.